reading the mood
by smartalker
Summary: Your existence continues to insult me. — DracoHermoine


**Reading the Mood**

"Just get on the broom!" Draco yelled impatiently. A certain girl all but clung to the ground, uncharacteristically wailing.

"I can't!" she cried, and forego actual witchcraft for repeatedly stabbing him with the sharper end of her wand. It was somehow much more satisfying. Draco yelped and backed away, glowering at her feverishly.

"I am trying to _help_ you—" he said through his teeth, trying to look menacing.

"What about Hippogriffs?" Hermione abruptly brightened, "I can ride a Hippogriff!"

Draco did his best to quell the shudder running up his spine, "No Hippogriffs!"

"Pansy," Hermione muttered darkly. Draco looked alarmed.

"Where?"

"No!" Hermione pointed, "_You_! What kind of a man are you?! That was years ago!"

"A Hippogriff," Draco began with uptmost dignity, "Has claws, a beak, and a temper problem. Besides, you won't even get on a broom, and you're the one who's supposed to be _brave_."

Hermione's well executed and concise response to this observation was to wheel around and punch him in the nose. Draco felt he understood her quite well.

* * *

Hermione was no where near as grateful as he felt she should have been. He had even been considerate enough to render her unconscious!

"You _kidnapped_ me," she stressed, with an outraged poke, "I can't _believe_ you."

"Well this romantic picnic has been a great success," Draco hissed scathingly. He was willing to forgive and forget, he really was.

Hermione turned on her heel and started marching back to Hogwarts, "I'm going back to school!" she called shrilly, "I have better things to do than hang out with a brute who drags girls to deserted meadows!"

"This was all your idea!" Draco hollered indignantly. "And _what_ better things?! _What_ better things?!"

"_Origami_ would be a better investment than this!" Hermione roared, and didn't break stride.

Draco was deeply offended.

Partly because he wasn't entirely sure what origami was.

* * *

"Girl troubles?" Goyle grunted sympathetically. Draco glared at a pair of innocent Hufflepuff first years.

"No," he told Goyle stiffly, before setting the girl's robes on fire, "What's wrong with you? Some people would rather walk about unoffended by your presence! Stop contaminating the atmosphere!"

Crabbe and Goyle watched their fuming friend breath heavily for a moment, looking between him and the shrieking girls.

"There was no need to do _that_," Goyle said pointedly. "Especially since I'll be the one serving detention for you later," he grumbled as an afterthought.

Draco glared at him viciously, "Minion One, did I just hear you complain?"

Goyle shut up. Draco stomped off in a huff.

Crabbe patted Goyle's shoulder, "Don't worry about him mate, he's just having a little jealousy fit."

"I ought to steal his eyeliner," Goyle grumbled bad-naturedly.

* * *

"Granger," Draco stalked her through the dining hall, firmly ignoring everyone's curious stares. "I have gracefully accepted your apology. Now, I think we should—"

"I never apologized," Hermione snipped prissily. She seized several scones off a nearby table and continued onwards. Draco rushed after her.

"Must you be so _difficult_, woman?"

Hermione's stare was withering, "Go away, Malfoy."

Draco scrambled to keep up with her increasingly rapid strides, "Granger, I know you're not stupid, and if we don't complete this assignment, then—"

"Oh, so now the _teachers_ are setting us up?" Hermione cried indignantly. Draco sneered at her.

"Of course. Dumbledore's my pimpmasta," he said sarcastically. Hermione rolled her eyes, crossing her arms with a flounce.

"Believe it or not, Draco, my grade is so high, that I don't have to do the assignment at all!" she looked rather stricken at the thought of knowingly neglecting her work, but soldiered on regardless. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't let you fail, as you rightfully deserve after that—after this weekend!"

Her chin was set forwards stubbornly, eyes hot and glaring, and so Draco found he could only persuade her in true Malfoy fashion.

"AUGH, RAPE IN THE HALLS!" screamed the two Hufflepuff girls from earlier. Draco and Hermione broke apart guiltily.

"What did I say about the atmosphere?!" Draco screamed. The two girls squealed, and then fled.


End file.
